Death and the Easter Bunny: A Mystery

Rating:
Summary: A true-to-life look at small-town South Georgia life.
Review: Death and the Easter Bunny provides an accurate, humorous look at life in small-town South Georgia. I found Ms. Berry's mixing truth (some of the events actually happened, or are based on actual events) and fiction (some came straight from her mind) to be wonderful. I should add that, as a small-town radio reporter in the late 1970s, I reported on the murder on which the mystery is inspired, though not based. I was fascinated by the mixture of real elements with fictional. I also know her cousin, on whom the Chief of Police is based, and could hear him reciting some of the same sentences to me 20 years ago. I look forward to her next book, which I understand is in the works and also based on similar exploits of citizens of some of the same certain South Georgia towns.

Rating:
Summary: Solid and entertaining
Review: I met Linda Berry at a book signing in 1998, and I was impressed with her conviction that setting and character interactions are just as important as the puzzle in a mystery novel. I purchased this book and was not disappointed. The characters and set-ups were believable, and the story had a great sense of place. The puzzle did not suffer any, either, and held surprises while being fair to the reader.

I was also impressed by the dearth of typos, which are all too common in today's rather slapdash publishing world. Ms. Berry evidently takes a great deal of pride in her work, and her readers reap the benefits.

Rating:
Summary: Solid and entertaining
Review: I met Linda Berry at a book signing in 1998, and I was impressed with her conviction that setting and character interactions are just as important as the puzzle in a mystery novel. I purchased this book and was not disappointed. The characters and set-ups were believable, and the story had a great sense of place. The puzzle did not suffer any, either, and held surprises while being fair to the reader.

I was also impressed by the dearth of typos, which are all too common in today's rather slapdash publishing world. Ms. Berry evidently takes a great deal of pride in her work, and her readers reap the benefits.

Rating:
Summary: A taste of hometown murder & mayhem.
Review: Take a rural hometown, some quirky down home characters, a wise cracking Police Department and the usual family stress of the Easter holiday. Blend them with murder and mayhem and you have a unique, humorous mystery called Death and the Easter Bunny by Linda Berry.

Trudy Roundtree has had enough happen in her life... her husband was killed in a hunting accident. Later she returns to her hometown after a failed romance. When she doesn't know what to do with herself, her cousin, Hen, short for Henry, hires her as a police officer. After investigating the latest fire and death in Ogeechee. Trudy learns it's really murder. Since the other officers are out of commission with a rash they picked up while hiding in the woods on stake out, Trudy takes the lead in investigating, using the help of the Ogeechee kudzu vine ( that's Georgian for Grapevine), the volunteer fire marshall, and some of Ogeechee's other interesting citizens. While she's sleuthing she also deals with a alien visit, a family that loves to be mirandarized and cousin-in-law holding a grudge.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. It was witty, humorous and up front. Trudy doesn't just investigate a crime. She introduces us and gives us insight on her hometown, her family and her friends. Trudy is a woman with a quick wit, and can take what ever comes in stride and go on. When you read it, you too will feel her confidence and shake your head in agreement at her hometown wisdom.